Improving Prosthetic Care for Lower Limb Amputation Patients

Adults with lower limb amputation undergo rehabilitation in order to learn how to effectively use a lower limb prosthesis. Unfortunately, the process of being fitted a prosthesis can be delayed due to resource constraints and manufacturing times, which delays the rehabilitation process and puts patients at higher risk for functional decline. Preliminary work by our team have shown that our 3D printing system, 3DPrintAbility Devices by NIA (http://niatech.org/), perform at the same level of efficacy as traditionally manufactured prosthetics, which suggests that a digital manufacturing tool-chain is a viable alternative and may be desirable given the time savings involved. In order to lead to improved processes related to prosthesis fitting for adult transtibial amputees, we want to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using 3DPrintAbility sockets in this population. Specifically, we want to determine if: 1) the 3D printing of transtibial prosthetic sockets can provide better quality prosthetic care in regards to cost, timeliness, and accessibility; 2) 3D printed sockets are equivalent in quality to standard thermoplastic preparatory sockets in regards to safety, fit, durability and comfort; and 3) whether a 3D scanning, design and printing process can be integrated into the workflow of current rehab centres. If successful, the findings from this work can provide an innovative approach for facilitating the fitting of a socket for adults with amputation might provide significant savings to the healthcare system by making the process more efficient while optimizing clinical outcomes by allowing patients to begin their rehabilitation sooner